Ice cracking device



Sept. 22, 1959 A. c. DE ANGELIS ET AL ICE CRACKING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed June 20, 1955 R U D O E v mw ATTORNEY Sept. 22, 1959 A. c. DEANGELIS ETAL 0 ICE CRACKING DEVICE Filed June 20, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2IIIIIHIII II I l a WW INVENTOR Sept. 22, 1959 Filed June 20. 1955 A. c.DE ANGELIS ET AL 2,905,397

ICE CRACKING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ANGELO C. DE ANGELIS HARRY E BUTTFIEL JR 5 Sept. 22, 1959 A. c. DE ANGELIS ETAL 52,905,397

ICE CRACKING DEVICE I Filed June 20, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORANGELO c.- DE ANGELIS FIG-.8 HARRY E. BUTTERFIELD JR.

ATTORNEY Sept. 22, 1959 A. c. DE ANGELIS ET AL 2,905,397

' ICE CRACKING DEVICE Filed June 20, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN T0ANGELO C.D NGE BY HARRY E.BU RFIELD JR ATTORN E 2,905,397 for.CRACKINGDEVICE Angelo C. De Angelis, Fair Haven, and Harry E.Butterfield, Jr.,' Maplewood, N.J.,.assiguors, by mesne assignments, toDynamics Corporation of America, New York, N.Y., a corporation of NewYork I Application June 20, ,1955, Serial No. 516,492 2 Claims. .01.241- 188) This invention relates to motor driven ice cracking apparatusof the character adapted to reduce relatively large pieces of ice, suchas cubes from conventional freezertrays, to relatively small pieces orchips of greater surface area more effectively to chill beverages or thelike.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an ice crackingattachment device for use as an accessory with tend too readily to meltand alsoto clog the machine or, I

portions thereof. In improved contrast therewith, devices of the presentinvention are designed to shatter or crack larger pieces orcubes of iceinto smaller discrete bits somewhat more resistant to melting and havingless ten dency to agglomerate.

Another object of the invention is to provide ice cracking apparatuscapable of adjustment, if desired, to provide ice particles ofpredetermined size such as coarse, medium and fine. 7

Another and more specific object is to provide a device embodying acutter element having an upright pointed blade for engagement with thecubes or other pieces of ice which is rotatable at relatively highspeed, such as of the order of 10,000 r.p.m., very rapidly to shatterthe charge of ice and also having an impeller portion to throw theshattered pieces outwardly against an impact surface further tocomminute the same. The invention also contemplates the provision of asweeping blade associated with the cutter element whereby to sweep thecracked ice particles from the comminuting chamber into a dischargeoutlet.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of theprinciples of the invention have been selected for exemplification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 1--1 of Fig. 4 andshowing an ice cracker device constructed in accordance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is another vertical sectional view of the device taken on theline 2-2 of Fig. 4 and showing the device mounted in operative positionupon a blender base indicated in fragment;

Fig. 3 is another vertical sectional view of the device taken on theline 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is atop plan view of the device;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the legend plate and chuteadjusting arm;

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the cutter element;

v to prevent clogging of ice.

.Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the cutter element;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the cutterelement taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2 of amodified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals referto like parts, the ice cracker device in the preferred construction ofone modification of the invention is formed of a top section or casting10 and a base section or casting 12 secured together in any suitablemanner such as by the screws 14. The device as shown in Figs. 1-4 isadapted to-be mounted upon a blender base or the like in lieu of theusual blending container and, to this end, the bottom or base section 12is provided with a plurality of peripheral slotted or recessed portions16 for mating engagement with the upright container supporting fingers18 carried by a blender base indicated in fragment at 20 and such asshown, for example, in Patent No. 2,761,659. j

The bottom section 12 has formed therein a chamber 22 which ispreferably cup-shaped in form so as to tend Rotatably mounted in thechamber 22 is an upright cutter .element 24, described in detailhereinafter, attached at 26 to a shaft 28 having a bottom connection 34for driven engagement with the drive shaft 36 of the blender electricmotor. A flywheel 30 and thrust washer 32 may be provided to overcomethe off balance of the cutter element 24 and to effect smoother running.

, For feeding ice cubes or other relatively large pieces to the chamber22, a chute 38 is carried centrally of the top section 10. As shown inFig. 4 the chute 38 is preferably of rectangular configuration so as totend to prevent rotation therein of the ice cubes and, as indicated inFig. l, a ram or the like 40 may be provided for forcingthe icedeposited in the chute 38 downwardly against the upwardly projectingpoint of the cutter element 24. The

bottom end portion 39 of the chute provides an impact surface againstwhich split or shattered ice pieces impinge and are further broken upwhen thrown outwardly thereagainst by the cutter element 24 A peripheralskirt 41 atthe bottom edge of the chute 38 provides a seal to preventthe egress of ice particles to the upper interior portion of the topsection 10.

It has been found that by adjusting the relative distance between theimpact surface 39 of the chute 38 and the cutter 24 the degree ofcracking of the ice can be effectively controlled. Accordingly, theinvention contemplates that the chute 38 may be slidably mounted forvertical adjustment in the top housing section 10 and its relativeposition selectively controlled by a bracket arm 42 pivoted at one endto a bracket 44 secured to a wall portion of the housing section 10,pivotally attached intermediate its ends to opposed sides of the chute38 as indicated at 46 and terminating in a handle 48 projectingoutwardly of the top section 10, all as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Theprojecting handle 48 may cooperate with a legend plate 50, as shown inFig. 5, having stops 52 selectively to position the bracket arm 42 andthe chute 38 supported thereby in appropriate positions for coarse,medium or fine cracking. This feature of adjustability may, of course,be embodied in either the attachment form of the invention as shown inFigs. 1-4 or the unitary form as indicated in Fig. 9, or omitted fromeither, as may be desired.

The cutter element 24, as shown in detail in Figs. 6 to 8, is preferablyformed of an integral piece of highly polished stainless steel having anextended upright sharpened point 54 at one side of its axis of rotationand, at the opposite side of its axis of rotation, an impeller surface56 for throwing ice pieces split or cracked by the pointed blade 54outwardly against the surrounding impact surface 39 and a sweeping blade57 for sweeping cracked ice particles outwardly of the chamber 22through the discharge spout 58. The sharpened point 54 is preferablycurved forwardly of the direction of rotation as shown in Fig. 6 so asto bite into and shatter the ice pieces thrust downwardly into its pathby the ram 40. The upper leading edges of the impeller and sweepingportions 56 and 57 are preferably rounded as indicated in Fig. 8 to tendto direct the contacted ice particles in an upward direction and toavoid any cutting action such as would be effected by a sharp edge withresultant, undesirable formation of snow and water. To tend to balancethe assy'mmetrical element 24, holes 59 may be provided in the bodyportion of its extended side and a counterbalance 60 may be provided atits opposite side. Conventional blender motors are designed forrelatively high speed rotation of the order of 10,000 rpm. and thecutter element '24, being directly driven thereby, accord: inglyshatters and cracks the charged ice pieces with great rapidity so that aconstant stream of cracked ice particles emerges outwardly of the spout58 as long as the charge continues.

As is shown in Fig. 9, the principles of the invention may be embodiedin a unitary electric motor driven device having the ice crackinghousing 62 fixed to a permanent base 64 in driving connection with themotor M. The internal structure and operating parts within the housing62 may be identical with that described in detail in connection with theblender attachment form of the invention.

It will be understood that the present invention is not confined to theprecise construction and arrangement of parts as herein illustrated anddescribed but includes various modifications thereof as are embracedwithin the scope of the following'claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for cracking ice into small particles which comprises, achamber having side walls, a chute for feeding pieces of ice into saidchamber, an upright cutter element supported in said chamber forrelatively high speed rotation about a vertical axis, an impact surfaceprojecting downwardly in said chamber and terminating in an edge"inwardly spaced from said walls and surrounding in spaced relation theupper portion of said cutter element, said cutter element including anupwardlyextending pointed blade on one side of said axis of IO- tationand a laterally extending impeller on the opposite side of said axis ofrotation for throwing shattered ice pieces against said impact surfaceand said edge, the vertical position of said edge being approximatelybetween the vertical extremities of said cutter element, means forsupporting said impact surface and said cutter member for adjustablerelative vertical movement therebetween to alter the effective positionof said edge whereby selectively to control the size of the resultingcracked ice particles, and means for discharging ice particles from saidchamber.

2. A device for cracking ice into small particles which 7 comprises, achamber having side walls, a chute for feeding pieces of ice into saidchamber, an upright cutter element supported in said chamber forrelatively high speed rotation about a vertical axis, an impact surfaceprojecting downwardly in said chamber and terminating in an edgeinwardly spaced from said walls and surrounding in spaced relation theupper portion of said cutter element, said cutter element including anupwardly extending pointed blade on one side of said axis of rotationand a laterally extending impeller and sweeping blade on the oppositeside of said axis of rotation for respectively throwing shattered icepieces against said impact surface and said edge for sweeping crackedice particles from the chamber, said sweeping blade being provided witha rounded leading edge, and means for discharging ice particles fromsaid chamber, the vertical position of said edge being approximatelybetween the vertical extremities of said cutter element.

7 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS"av-4 0% W

